


ward 666

by amyspellman_xx



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, hospital au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:06:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24395488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyspellman_xx/pseuds/amyspellman_xx
Summary: Hospital AUZelda Spellman, newly promoted to the Emergency Room’s Matron is horrified at the thought of transfer Matron Morningstar arriving to equal her on her ward in her hospital. Will they be able to work through their fight for dominance in order to save the lives of patients?
Relationships: Dr. Cerberus/Hilda Spellman, Hilda Spellman/Zelda Spellman, Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Comments: 34
Kudos: 59





	1. chapter one

The Spellman household buzzed with energy at every hour throughout the day when all it’s occupants were home. Whether it was four in the morning or four in the afternoon, somebody would be sat at the kitchen table eating a Hilda special. 

This morning was no different. Hilda's alarm had rang at four-thirty followed by Zelda's at quarter to five, prompting the sisters to change into their uniforms before making a start on breakfast. 

"I'll start breakfast, sister!" Zelda whispered sharply before exiting the room, surprising Hilda at her sister’s unprompted generosity. 

It soon dawned on her, however, that her sisters kindness was because she didn't want to be the Auntie who wakes the children up. There was, however no use in harshly calling her name from upstairs as the familiar sound of the kettle boiling sounded through the house so Hilda lightly padded out of the bedroom, aiming for Ambrose's room first. 

Zelda sat down at the kitchen table with a thump, the silence around her settling in as she opened her newspaper and lay it down on the table, taking a long drag of her first cigarette of the day. 

Her new uniform itched at her hips and she couldn't help but fidget in her now dark blue nursing dress. She knew it was the size below her old uniform when her boss had given it to her but never bothered to raise an argument in fear of losing her promotion. 

The bliss didn't last long as Sabrina's heavy feet pounded down the staircase accompanied by Ambrose's tired groans telling her,   
"Be quiet, Brina or I'll have your brains." 

A harsh "Stop running!" was Zelda's first snap of the day directed to the small blonde child followed by a plea of, "And will you please stop referring to neurology this early in the morning?" in Ambrose's direction. 

Sabrina grinned cheekily and headed straight for the kitchen worktop where she'd spotted a freshly baked bagel, popping it straight into her mouth followed by a sound of approval. 

Ambrose chuckled in reply, his new found love of neurology making his Aunt turn more mad with each day and went over to kiss his Aunt chastely on her cheek with a "Morning Auntie." 

Hilda sauntered into the kitchen next, breaking the tranquility of the kitchen once again as the atmosphere had finally died down with a "Good morning, my lovelies!" prompting Zelda to roll her eyes in response. 

"Must you be so chirpy at this godforsaken hour?" Ambrose mimicked his older Aunt in a stern voice, earning him a giggle off Sabrina. 

Zelda shot the perpetrator a glare before her eyes followed to Hilda's actions who was fumbling about in the refrigerator, placing what looked like banana bread onto the table once done. 

Sabrina immediately took a grab for it, her sweet tooth overpowering her senses before her Aunt swatted her hand away and declared that it was for young Timothy in bed number three on her ward. 

"Poor lamb's broke both of his legs and his Mother gets too upset too visit him." she added sadly. 

Sabrina and Ambrose both sympathetically nodded in unison but Zelda looked horrified. 

"That is a complete breach of privacy, Hilda." she reprimanded, folding her newspaper and standing up. 

"Good job you're the ward matron for emergency then rather then paediatrics, isn't it?" she quipped back with a smile and Zelda has no choice but to grit her teeth and stay silent. 

As her sister, Zelda could pass comment on Hilda's nursing choices but she couldn't as a professional because she wasn't her boss. 

"Please don't remind me of the department I work for," she responded, changing the subject to suit how much she loathed her new role instead.

Sabrina looked up from her cereal at this, "Do you not enjoy making people better quickly, Auntie?" 

The children had learnt from a young age what the different departments at the hospital their Aunt's worked at were and found it easier to colloquially refer to emergency as 'quickly making people better' or Hilda's work in paediatrics 'making the children better.'

"I preferred my work in delivering babies, Sabrina." 

Sabrina didn't actually care that much for her Auntie's response and wasn't bothered when her Aunt Hilda answered for her instead, "But like Doctor Blackwood said, you're a talented nurse Zelda and they were missing out not making you Matron of Midwifery." 

Zelda clenched her teeth at the mention of Faustus but attempted to gloss over it in conversation before Ambrose excitedly announced that Doctor Blackwood had sought him out at the staff daycare to give him a book about the brain. 

"How kind of him!" Hilda had announced with a smile as the kids bundled through to the front door to get their coats on, "You'll have to thank him properly when you see him Zelds." 

Zelda was sure he would sought her out to make her say her thank you's. 

The rest of their morning routine was dominated by the children who were bundled up in the car by the time Zelda decided to speak again. 

Hilda sat down in the passenger seat next to her sister who had started the engine but failed to drive even when she was buckled in with the banana cake on her lap ready to go. 

Hilda's head turned towards her sister in confusion to be met with a smirk and a pair of green eyes that possessed a teasing glint to them. 

"Are you wearing perfume?" 

"No!" Hilda spluttered initially, "Well yes! But not for anything other reason then to better myself." 

Zelda raised her eyebrows in response, ignoring her sisters exasperated expression as she reversed off the driveway. 

They drove to work in a calming silence, readying themselves for the manic day ahead as Zelda's head flurried with the possibilities of another day working as the Emergency departments matron. 

It wasn't the actual job that she hated. Although emergency was the busiest department in the hospital, the workload was manic but manageable for somebody of her experience and intelligence. 

She hated most of the staff. The junior nurses were bearable and she had a soft spot for Melvin, one of the newer nurses. But her deputy sister was a nightmare to work with as was the most senior doctor on the ward. 

Faustus Blackwood had taken a liking to her when he was friends with Edward in medical school and was livid at his refusal to let him ask her out. But she couldn't say no to his promotion, not when their mortgage depended on this hospital. She would take the small touches and lingering glances for now if it meant keeping a roof over the children’s heads. 

But it was a constant reminder of Edward and Diana, being on the emergency ward. And how they flitted through the department as senior doctor and ward matron with such ease and encouragement before their own tragic stay. 

Besides, midwifery was more rewarding. The first cry, the first feed. All the firsts. Rather then the lasts of the emergency department. 

She swore to herself as she pulled in her now reserved parking space that she would never smoke another cigarette if it meant she didn't have to work on that department. 

"Should I expect to see that disoriented male paramedic on my ward today?" she asked her sister as the kids bolted their way across the carpark to the staff daycare. 

"You know his name, Zelda." she huffed in reply as Zelda rolled her eyes again and groaned a, "Fine, fine! Should I expect to see that disorientated male paramedic Cerebus on my ward today?" 

Hilda shot her a glare, mumbling in agreement as she followed the children into the daycare who shouted their "Bye Auntie!"s, still as chirpy as ever even for an early start. 

Zelda secretly hoped they'd never change. 

As expected, as soon as she walked in she was demanded in three different places with three different scenarios. She was met with a flurry of "Morning Matron Spellman's" by the cohort of junior nurses as she walked through the ward before a firm hand grasped her wrist and she was pulled into a corner. 

"Good morning?" she spat at the offender, her tone a questionable bite. 

"I have some news." Faustus drawled, his grip still iron and diffing into her arm. 

"Can I at least get a coffee first before you pull me straight into full work mode?" she pleaded, trying her hardest to free herself from his grasp but his fingers dug into her to keep her still. 

"No," he started and she silenced at his tone, "We're dramatically understaffed and dramatically busy. I thought it would only be appropriate that I was the one to tell you that we have a newly promoted matron from the Hospital of Shadow's transferring to equal with you on our Emergency ward for the foreseeable future." 

Zelda was silent for a moment longer, her pupils blown and her mouth open slightly. She had took this position for it's authority, not for it's staff or it's vending machine. To have another matron that equalled her would completely undermine her power and authority. 

"You can't have two matrons." she stated blankly, aware of the repercussions of picking a fight too early on in her shift. 

"I can," he laughed back, "And I will, Zelda." 

Her stomach churned when he used her name, especially the way he spat it in anger. 

"Nurse Morningstar is due to arrive at six thirty and I expect you to be there to welcome her."


	2. chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An initial insight of the first clashes of the two matron’s!

It was nearing one in the afternoon before Zelda had any chance to sit down for a cigarette and a large cup of coffee. She was itching for one, evident from the small fingernail dents in her hands. 

It wasn't really a normal shift. There were no drunken emergencies from the night before and there were no toddlers with nails sticking out of their feet, the ward was mostly dominated by broken bones and sudden fevers. 

It still felt as long, especially as every time she briskly walked or with every job she undertook she could feel the new matron's eyes on her. She complained, naturally. But the others told her she should be flattered, she was only trying to learn the ropes and Matron Spellman would be the best place to start. 

There were two undeniable attributes to this woman. She was skilled at her work, for one. She couldn't quite command the attention of a room like Zelda could but it was obvious she knew what she was doing. And she was attractive. Zelda noted it from the off, when she'd firmly grasped her hand and smiled at her with a wide smile that could almost be described as wicked, her blue eyes gleaming as the colour of Zelda's neck rose in initial dislike.

And when that wicked smile was passing it's way through the ward, charming every junior doctor and false flirting with patients, it was naturally going to infuriate Zelda. 

She didn't behave like a nurse which belonged on an emergency ward either which made Zelda's blood boil. The point of the job was to make these people better quickly, not to bond with them or make them feel at ease as you would with every other ward in the hospital. 

Maybe she had been a bit abrupt with her initially but she felt no guilt over it. This woman knew exactly what she was doing when she took the job and the rest of the staff only prayed she kept silent and acted as a deputy rather then an equal to Matron Spellman. 

Nurse Jackson was the only other nurse in the staff room when she entered, stood with her back to the room at the door with a cigarette in hand. Zelda thanked god there was nobody else there because she wasn't sure she could cope with a cohort of younger nurses fawning over Matron Morningstar. If Shirley's scowl was anything to go by when she looked over her shoulder to see who had walked in, she would also be apart of the small club that was the Morningstar hate club. 

"Afternoon," Zelda spoke first to break the ice, not usually accustomed to acting kind with Shirley, "I take it you've met her then." 

Shirley just nodded, tight lipped and eyes fixated on the wall, her only movement being the tap of her cigarette as the ash fell to the ground. 

"Coffee?" Zelda offered but Shirley just shook her head in response, stubbing her cigarette out onto the ground and sitting herself down. Zelda knew she wasn't getting anywhere and there was little point in trying so she poured a cup for herself and moved to the door with her lighter. 

She had quite literally took two puffs of her cigarette and only had chance to think of one way to get rid of the new matron when a commotion erupted from outside the room and she was forced to stub it out and take a look. 

Shirley didn't move and Zelda was reminded why she disliked her so much momentarily but all was forgotten when she stepped onto her ward and a loud voice echoed through the hospital walls. 

"I will die myself before she is seen to by anybody else other then-

The shouting stopped when she rounded the corner and was faced with the source of the noise, a woman of about thirty with a flushed toddler in her arms, another clutching at her hand. 

Zelda recognised her immediately as the Mother of the triplets she had delivered early last year in the middle of a restaurant in Riverdale. She was still considered a workforce hero for her safe delivery of the three beautiful girls and her quick response to the Mother's huge loss of blood. 

"Nurse Spellman," a voice addressed her from nearby and her head snapped to meet with those impossibly infuriating blue eyes from earlier, "I tried to explain to Mrs Weird that you were on your lunch and I would be more then capable of seeing to baby Agatha." 

Her eyes narrowed immediately at her tone and her blue eyes were forgotten about because of the way her words had made Zelda's blood boil. 

Hilda's foolish paramedic friend was stood next to the Mother, his free hand clutching the third triplet that Zelda recognised to be Dorcas. She reached out her hand to take the child away from him, saving both the man and the child from another moment of uncomfortableness.

"I'll see to her," she announced and then turned on her heel to face Matron Morningstar, "Take the children to the staff daycare, they can stay there until we get the poorly one sorted." 

Her eyes widened at what was obviously a new sensation and Zelda had to bite her tongue in her mouth to stop her from smirking. 

"If you don't mind, Nurse Spellman-

A smile had grew on her face and Zelda felt the sudden urge to smack it off as she failed to address her using her title once again. 

"I do." she bit back, noticing Cerberus flinch at her tone as she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to assert some sort of dominance. 

"It's just that in my hospital and on my ward we let our staff have a lunch break," she tried again to reason with her but even she noticed the colour of Zelda's neck rising as she dug her fingernails into her arms. 

"We're not in your hospital and we are certainly not on your ward," she snapped back and then averted the subject quickly as she noticed Faustus watching from afar, "So you will take the children to the staff daycare as I've asked you to." 

Her eyes followed Zelda's and she turned to see the senior doctor staring at them, daring them to continue this argument in the middle of the ward with his face. She nodded at Zelda in defeat, her jaw tightening as she chewed on the inside of her mouth. 

"And it's Matron Spellman." Zelda affirmed although quietly as she handed over Dorcas and gestured for Prudence to take her other hand. 

She didn't say anything in response but her eyes told a different story as she glanced up to Zelda when taking Dorcas' hand and shot her a glare.

* 

"I can't believe she had the nerve to refer to me as Nurse Spellman," Zelda spoke suddenly, slamming the book in her hand down and picking up her glass of wine.

Hilda rolled her eyes in exasperation. It was past eight and this was the sixth time she was hearing about Lilith and her 'lack of professionalism' as Zelda put it over and over again. 

"Lilith," she spat again, the name that she had learnt belonged to the matron rolling off her tongue in spite, "What a ridiculous name." 

Ambrose and Hilda shared a glance again before Ambrose decided he was brave enough to pass comment, "I thought it was quite a nice name." 

He grinned when Zelda's head snapped to him and she asked with raised eyebrows, "Isn't it past your bedtime?" and left the room with a goodnight threw over his shoulder. 

Zelda opened her book again just as Hilda began to speak but she cut her off with a hasty,  
"I'll kill you if you say anything remotely positive about her." 

Hilda was only going to comment on how it was quite sweet that she seemed to care for Zelda's well-being but her sister couldn't see past the woman trying to take her job and her patient off her. 

That's why, when she went into work the next day she used every ounce of dignity and self respect that she had to ignore Lilith and her ridiculous modern nursing ideas.

It became increasingly difficult throughout the day to ignore each other. They had to consult each other with pretty much every decision they made and concluded silently to do that through one word questions and answers, avoiding eye contact at every chance.

It was Lilith who budged first. 

It was always going to be Lilith. Zelda was too stubborn for her own good. Could she be bothered playing these games? They were both around the same age which was too old to be ignoring each other even in a professional capacity. 

That's when she started relentlessly teasing her. It was much easier to annoy her if she resorted to solely teasing her. 

She particularly relished throughout the day in taking her favourite pen and putting it into her own ponytail, mocking how Zelda usually wore it. She also favoured moving her blessed stack of paperwork from her desk to sit upon Nurse Jackson's desk. 

It was when Zelda walked into the staff room for her break and was met with Lilith's smug face that she finally bit. 

"You are being completely insufferable." she snapped, clicking the kettle on as she glared. 

"Oh, it does speak?" Lilith feigned surpise and Zelda scowled. 

Lilith grinned at her reaction, prompting Zelda to stick her middle finger up at her in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! this was sort of a filler chapter but i wanted to write it properly. hope youse enjoy, leave a comment!


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matron Morningstar hosts a garden party on their shared shifts off and Dr Blackwood reveals some sudden news which knocks both Matron’s for six.

"Absolutely fucking not." 

The words stung and Hilda winced. 

"Come on," Hilda urged not letting her sister's ignorance get to her, "It might be a laugh!" 

To Zelda, going for drinks at Lilith's house on their only day off of the week with half of their staff was the exact opposite of a laugh. 

"No." she reaffirmed and Hilda flopped down on a kitchen chair in defeat, "Besides, even if we wanted to go, we can't. We have the children." 

Zelda was bloody clever, Hilda thought, using the kids as an excuse because she knew that her younger sister wasn't selfish enough to not think of the children. 

"No you don't," Ambrose announced, walking through the door with a stack of dishes from his room, "Tomorrow is Theo's birthday and Nurse Putnam said we can stay over the night." 

As fucking if. Hilda harrumphed in unison with Zelda's eyes rolling in exasperation. 

"When was this decided?" Zelda asked, her nostrils flaring as Ambrose pointed to the fridge and they both turned to see an invite to Theo's from staff daycare's birthday party. 

Zelda didn't respond. Instead, she pulled the newspaper up to her face and attempted to read again. 

How would it work anyway? Only half the staff from the ward will be able to attend because the other half will be working a night shift. 

She rose this query to Lilith the next morning at work who cheekily replied that it didn't bother her because all her favourites would be there. 

She tried her hardest to ignore her piercing gaze for the rest of the day. 

The Saturday of the garden party soon approached and Zelda spent half the day ironing Sabrina's favourite party dresses and packing the children's favourite pyjamas for their sleepover as Hilda gushed to Cerebus on the phone. 

She turned to Zelda mid phone call, and she guessed Cerebus asked whether she'd be attending as Hilda asked a wary, "Will you be coming, Zelda?" 

Zelda folded Sabrina's pyjamas carefully into her overnight bag and glared at Hilda, "I'd rather walk through hellfire."

Despite her stubbornness, it was no surprise to Hilda that after a few packets of cigarettes and glasses of whisky, Zelda appeared at the door of Lilith's cottage later on.

Lilith swung back the door and Zelda couldn't help but roll her eyes at the hostess' eagerness to see her next visitor. 

Zelda went to comment on it but her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Lilith in an emerald green summer dress which exposed a lot but not nearly enough of her cleavage. Lilith noticed her eyes flicker down and a smirk appeared on her face at the sight of a silenced Zelda and she couldn't help saying, "You just couldn't resist my charms, could you?" 

Zelda had flushed a light pink colour at the doorstep of her cottage but it didn't stop her from scowling at Lilith's clever words. 

"I've come to make sure my sister doesn't drink her self into oblivion." she retorted, her eyes drifting inside of Lilith's cottage where she could see that everybody had congregated in the garden, "Because some of us have work tomorrow." 

"You can keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep better," Lilith smiled and walked into the house, leaving the door open for Zelda to walk in.

Zelda’s brow furrowed and her jaw tightened, anger filling through her veins. She was too angry to notice the slight crack in Lilith’s voice at the sight of her. 

Ethereal, was the only word that could be used to describe how she looked and she prayed only Hilda would notice that she had dressed up on purpose.

She contemplated turning back on her heel and walking all the way back home but she turned the other cheek and walked into the house, kicking her shoes off at the front door.

She walked through the cottage tentatively, stopping to look at the photos on the walls. It wasn’t what she imagined. It was relatively modern; white gloss kitchen with a black worktop and glass cupboards. It was all sparkling clean as well with a pure black cat sprawled out on top of the microwave, no trace of cat hairs anywhere. 

There was laughter coming from outside and Zelda rolled her eyes involuntarily, choosing instead to stay a little bit longer in here and pet the cat. 

“Stolas.” a voice came from behind her and she looked around, alarmed. 

A young girl of around three was stood with a slight frown on her face watching Zelda pet the cat. 

“Pardon?” Zelda retorted back, her eyebrows raised as she spoke down to the small girl. 

She had big black ringlets and Zelda thought for a second that she might be Lilith’s until she noticed her eyes. 

They were big and brown, unlike Lilith’s who were an impossibly gorgeous blue colour. She was certain that she could almost drown in them if she didn’t blink while talking to her or wink while teasing her. 

She nearly brushed over the girls, “It’s his name,” while thinking about her co-workers eyes but quickly snapped out of it and bent down to the floor with a “Oh, really?” 

The girl nodded, “And your name is?” 

“Lily,” she affirmed with a nod, “And you?” 

Zelda blinked. Maybe she could be Lilith’s. The sharpness to her question was evident. A pang of jealousy soared through her chest at the thought of Lilith having a child which was ridiculous because why would she be jealous? 

“Zelda.” she nodded and stuck her hand out for the girl to shake which she gladly did. 

Another burst of laughter erupted from outside while she took the hand. 

“Adults are boring.” she sighed and Zelda spluttered, “Agreed.”

Lily went to make another comment until Lilith burst back into the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of Zelda bent down with the small girl, “There you are.” 

The girl smiled up at her and was about to reach her arms out to her but scowled at the sound of laughter from outside and drew back, falling back three steps to clutch Zelda’s hand instead. 

“We think Adults are boring.” she stated, deadpanned. 

Zelda smiled at Lilith gleefully as she looked down on the two of them with her eyebrows raised, “We do.” 

Lilith nodded at them, “I thought you were here to ensure your sister didn’t drink herself into oblivion not to babysit my niece.” 

Zelda scrunched her nose, “Change of plan.” and then brushed past her with the small girl who had indulged into a new conversation about birds. 

Half of her colleagues had never seen Zelda out of her blue scrubs and her hair in a tight ponytail so the bursts of shock that came from the party were no surprise to Hilda. 

Zelda ignored them but Lilith noticed, sitting down in her garden chair and trying to divert the conversation again to distract the rest of her party from Zelda’s beauty. 

Her outfit was so simplistic that it is hard to describe why she looked so miraculously gorgeous. Her red ringlets flowed down her back, spiralling out onto a white blazer which she had donned with white belted shorts and a simple black top and Lilith couldn’t keep her eyes off of her. 

It was incredibly frustrating, not being able to tear her eyes away for one second when she hadn’t even looked at her all night and the rest of their company seemed to have forgotten about her pretty soon even her niece who had gallivanted off to the spare bedroom in hope for some silence.

Hilda did get pretty tipsy, which Zelda had rightly predicted but she couldn’t have guessed that when she got up for her next smoke that her sisters wine glass would collide with her hand and spill all down her blazer. 

Hilda spluttered an apology, giggling slightly as she hiccuped and if so many people hadn’t of been watching Lilith was sure that the elder Spellman sister would have slapped her. 

But she didn’t. She spun on her heel instead and stormed into the kitchen. Hilda thought better then to follow. 

Lilith’s eyes moved off of the chair she had been sat in for the first time since she sat down, choosing to follow her fingers instead where she bit down on her nails. She contemplated staying outside away from her but went against it in the end and swallowed her own pride. 

A sharp, “Just piss off.” was exerted from Zelda’s mouth as she entered her kitchen yet not directed at her and Lilith’s eyes snapped to the offender who was stood too close to Zelda for her liking. 

“Popped by after my shift,” Doctor Blackwood had drawled and handed Lilith over a bottle of white wine, “I’ll go and say hello before I grab my tipple.” 

Zelda wouldn’t look at Lilith, instead choosing to keep her eyes down on her blazer, scrubbing it relentlessly with a disregarded cloth she had found on the side. 

“That didn’t look friendly.” Lilith noted and Zelda bit back immediately, “It’s not your business to judge that.” 

Lilith nodded, ignoring her bite and instead chose to raise something else, “That won’t work. You need to dab it.” 

Zelda huffed and threw the cloth down, “I don’t need your help.” 

It went silent for a moment and Lilith chewed on the inside of her cheek, keeping any tipsy comments that she might regret later back. 

“And that’s applicable to every aspect of my life. This blazer, my stupid sister liking you and my ward.” she continued, “My week would have been a whole lot better if you hadn’t of in it.” 

Lilith went to pass comment, suddenly not caring what she said or how she said it before the voice of Faustus boomed behind her. 

“Well your next week is about to get a whole lot worse, Matron Spellman.” he smiled at them and Zelda’s eyes narrowed. 

“I’m moving things about on each of the wards so that you’ll have respectable cover for the week while I send you both on a trip together for a work conference.” 

Zelda forgot the wine sodden blazer on the kitchen counter top as she fumed out of the cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this update took so long! i’ve mapped the rest of the story out so it shouldn’t take too long :)  
> let me know your thoughts!


	4. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s day one if Zelda and Lilith’s course!

She was being downright awkward. 

"Don't be ridiculous," Hilda whined but Zelda's arrogance had gotten out of control by the minute. 

"She is insufferable Hilda," she continued from her rant that had lasted half the morning, "And I will not be car sharing with her." 

Hilda ignored this, sat on the sofa with a cup of tea and continued trying her hardest to seem interested in Zelda's woes. 

"She sounds like a school girl in love," Ambrose whispered to Sabrina from across the room who spluttered with laughter. 

Hilda glanced over at them, completely blanking out Zelda's whining for a moment while she tried to tell the children to stop with her eyes. 

"Hilda!" Zelda suddenly exclaimed with a resounding clap which made Hilda look over, "So that is why you will be driving me." 

The drive over was more insufferable then Hilda could have ever imagined Matron Morningstar being. Zelda couldn't sit still, fiddling with each dial on the control board and asking her to play eye spy because she was bored. 

Hilda was relieved when they arrived at the hotel, which from the outside looked like a two star bed and breakfast. The inside wasn't much better, and Zelda suddenly regretted wearing her favourite navy heels, afraid the floor would contaminate them. 

Moving her sunglasses down slightly to gain better view, she frowned upon entry and couldn't help but scowl at the sight of the tatty sofas in the reception and signs which were hung at an angle. 

She approached the reception desk with caution and hovered her hand over the bell before she recognised a voice from behind her which made her stop in her tracks. 

"The room is still being prepared." 

Zelda spun round, her ringlets following and Lilith hated her for being so pretty. 

"Your room is," she spoke without missing a beat, "Mine might be ready." 

Her lips always pursued in a way that made Lilith want to smack her smug smile right off her face but she simply raised her eyebrows and picked up the magazine she was reading again while Zelda rung the bell. 

Lilith couldn't make out the entire conversation but she definitely caught onto the exasperated "Are you taking the piss?" that Zelda exerted when the woman behind the desk told her there was only one single room booked under the name Blackwood. 

Lilith smiled from behind her magazine when Zelda took the seat opposite her with a thump. 

"Your room ready?" Lilith asked behind the magazine when Zelda took the seat opposite her with a thump. 

"Fuck off." 

It was safe to say that the pair of them didn't speak much that night after arriving back to the room at the same time after going for different walks aside from setting ground rules regarding the bed. 

"I won't be taking the floor so it's you on the floor or a pillow wall between us," Lilith announced as she walked through the door, "Your choice." 

Zelda would have rather stuck various pins in her eyes then sleep on the floor so got into bed next to her albeit a safe distance away from her and turned on her side so that her back was facing her and switched her bedside lamp off. 

"You can speak to me you know," Lilith spoke into the darkness, "I won't bite." 

Nothing. 

* 

To Lilith's delight, when she awoke the following morning she was no where near Zelda and managed to creep out of the bedroom with minimal disturbance to the sleeping redhead. 

Zelda awoke rather disoriented, frowning on impulse but decided that being in a bad mood forever was too much effort especially when she noticed a Costa takeout cup on the side with a nore next to it explaining that Lilith would be at breakfast but she left this for Zelda. 

Zelda threw away all her pride and went downstairs to the breakfast room. Upon seeing Lilith sat alone eating what looked to be a fruit platter, she felt a little bit guilty for being so harsh yesterday. 

Lilith's soft 'Oh,' of surprise didn't go missed by Zelda when she announced, "We might as well pretend to like each other if we're here for another two days," and if that was her way of apologising then Lilith could live with that. 

Zelda surprised Lilith for the second time today when she suggested they go for a walk into the park after breakfast and she realised the cup of coffee must have worked. 

She thought it would have been a lot harder to break Zelda Spellman then with a cup of coffee. 

"You remembered," Zelda spoke suddenly for the first time and Lilith looked up blankly, "How did you remember how I take my coffee?" 

Lilith pouted her bottom lip out, "I'm not sure actually. A lucky guess."

She wasn't about to tell her that she had mentally noted her three sugars since their first day working together. Or that she would never forget the Hilda and Zelda’s blood sugar related argument that followed it. 

They ate in a comfortable silence which didn't bother either of them, only stopping to talk once the waitress had came over with the bill and they decided to split it. 

It was Zelda who spotted the woman first. She had always had eagle eyes, always first to spot anybody in any danger or in trouble so it was no surprise that she immediately clocked a middle aged woman choking in the middle of the room. 

She physically pushed Lilith backwards to get to her, grabbing onto the cuff of her jacket and rushing towards the woman's aid. Lilith halted for a second, confusion swimming over her face before she realised what Zelda had seen and shot off in the same direction. 

People around them started looking and stopping to watch but Zelda was too caught up in her work to think about anybody else at this moment, telling the fussing staff firmly that she was a nurse. 

Lilith assessed the situation quickly as Zelda dominated and grasped a young child away from the table who was offering a concerned, "Mommy?" and attempted to console her as her cries gradually became more strained. 

Lilith hadn't realised that she had stopped breathing as she held the screaming child back, only realising when she let out a breath as what looked like a pip from a fruit shot out of the lady's mouth. 

The woman passed out straight after seeing what was lodged in her windpipe, naturally and Lilith had to physically pick the screaming child up and carry her across the room to calm her down as Zelda saw to the woman again. 

"Look," she said to the girl who's eyes snapped to hers, "I know that nurse that's helping your Mommy and I know she's the best at her job. I promise you that your Mommy will be okay." 

The girl sniffled in her arms, before Lilith moved them both to where her and Zelda were sat before and grabbed a piece of candy from her bag, "Here," she whispered, "Don't tell your Mommy when she wakes up from her nap." 

And she put her finger to her lips in a shushing motion with a slight smile which the girl copied but with a grin. 

Lilith sighed, murmuring a "Thank fuck," before she looked up and realised the woman had awoke but was being wheeled to the hotel nurse's office while Zelda was stood upright, staring at her. 

When their eyes locked, Lilith could see there was something else there that wasn't there a few moments ago. Her gaze was softer and for a split second, she could almost see a hint of friendliness. 

Zelda quickly gathered herself, of course, and walked over without a second glance at anybody else in the room. 

"Apparently," she said lowly, "Her father is upstairs. We can take her to reception and they'll sort her out." 

Lilith nodded, looking down at the young girl who had settled on her lap quite nicely, chewing the candy. 

"Well done by the way," Lilith whispered and Zelda blushed slightly, pulling on her collar to make it less hot. 

She ignored the praise and instead peered down at the wrapper on the candy, "My mom used to give me those." 

Lilith smiled, "So did mine." 

They didn't manage the walk in the end. Zelda noted Lilith was acting strangely, even for somebody that she had tried to avoid as much as possible. She knew she had more conversation in her then she was putting out but chose better to comment on it and let her quietly bustle around their shared room to get ready for their course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so ridiculously sorry for the late update but I hope you can forgive me. 
> 
> The course will span over 3 chapters which are already written so there won’t be a long wait. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, let me know in the comments.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, this was new territory for me! all comments would be greatly appreciated <3


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